


The Chance for Happiness

by LazySintastic13 (EmeraldWriter)



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell, M/M, Spicycinaroll - Freeform, Underfell Sans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 18:51:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11408448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldWriter/pseuds/LazySintastic13
Summary: It was easy to forget how unfair the world was when you're happy.





	The Chance for Happiness

He had almost forgotten. The happiness he attained in the recent months clouded the bits of reality that had been previously ingrained in him to act on were buried deep in the recesses of his mind. You could even say, maybe he’d gotten cockier in a sense. And he really had no one to blame but himself for forgetting.

_In this world, it’s kill or be killed._

How could he have forgotten?

“ _Red!_ Red! _No!_ No, no, no no nononono.”

‘Paps?’

Strong arms cradled his heavy body, almost as if a half-hearted attempt to sit up straight, and saw droplets wet his bloodied shirt.

“Y-Your HP is, oh stars, I can’t teleport. And my m-magic is not enough.” The fear was evident in the other’s tone. “I _can’t._ ” Red could feel the small tremors from the body that held him. “Y-You shouldn’t have pushed me away! I could’ve handled it.”

Yeah … Yeah, he probably could’ve of. But the reason was simple as to why. Red just couldn’t handle seeing Papyrus hurt. Period.

Rather than offering words of comfort, or even to give Papyrus an explanation, the short skeleton, instead, couldn’t help realizing how strange dying felt.

It was surreal. Like, you didn’t know what to do with yourself. It makes you cold too, to the point of numbing the pain received earlier. But there were none of those recalling of memories; of light and images flashing before his eyes.

No, it was the complete opposite. He felt like he was dumbing down; his thinking process shot, and stuck to simple things he could grasp—and he was tired. Really tired.

So he ended up asking in a gravelly voice, rough and thick with how dry his throat were, or maybe it was the opposite and he couldn’t quite spit out the blood trying to spill forth. “I need a ring.”

Out of all the things he could say, it felt right to say it.

“A-A ring?” Papyrus’ sobs lessened, and he didn’t try wiping the new tears that formed. Still, he looked around to see if there was anything fitting for it.

Spotting a twig not too far from him, he manifested his magic to summon it to him, and bent it as he saw fit to create a make-shift ring. It was the best he could do.

He brought it over to Red.

“Wear it. Left. Ring.”

Words that the tall skeleton immediately understood, he hastily took off his glove using his teeth and wore the ring on his left ring finger as ordered. Glancing down, Papyrus noticed how the other’s legs were already turned to dust, and he felt twinges of pain on his soul. Anxiety rose in him like the untameable beast it was and hammered his dwindling hope—just waiting for it to shatter into a million pieces.

There wasn’t much time left.

And yet, Red felt unhurried. As if time had stopped and he was able to stay in Papyrus’ arms for as long as he wanted. “I’m hungry, Paps.” It came out as a whisper, and Papyrus had strained to hear the weakened voice.

“I-I’ll—” The tall skeleton took a deep breath to collect himself to speak better. “I’ll whip up your favourite when …” Papyrus had to shut his eyes for a moment. More tears erupted—he just couldn’t stop crying. “… When we get home.”

He’d play along, because there wasn’t much he could do.

“Lucky.” Red said, before he coughed up blood. The pressure on his chest lessened, and now he could speak a bit clearer than before, though it wasn’t much. He still sounded like he had a sore throat.

“Paps?”

“Y-Yes. Yes, I’m here Red.”

‘I want’ “A dog” ‘and’ “two kids.”

Papyrus was still able to understand what his lover meant, and his trembling only increased. He tried his best not to clutch the other’s body too hard, lest he hasten the dusting procedure. “It’s perfect, Red.”

He looked to one of Red’s arms, slowly deteriorating to mere dust. It was torture.

And it only hurt so much more when he saw Red smile at him; so happy and unrestrained—absolutely radiant in his eyes.

“And Paps,”

“Y-Yes?”

“Love me?”

His sobs got louder. “S-So much, Red. I love you so much.” And the hand he held, so small and delicate, crumbled before his eyes.

Papyrus closed his own to a fist, as if he could still save what was left of his lover. It was futile.

The short skeleton began to feel sleepier by the second. He never would’ve thought that he’d die in such a peaceful way. He was so lucky.

“Thank you.” Red breathed out. A simple phrase, but it carried an intense weight behind it.

_Thank you for choosing me._

_Thank you for not giving up on me._

_Thank you for loving me._

_Thank you for showing me happiness._

_And thank you for staying by my side, even though all it did was cause you more pain._

Tears brimmed at his eye sockets, threatening to fall. “I-It was my pleasure, my l-love.” And forced himself to smile brightly at his lover.

Red let out a soft chuckle before he permanently closed his eyes, and completely turned to dust.

Papyrus cried and cried and cried as he sat there alone, parts of him covered his lover’s remains.

They were finally happy.

Red finally found happiness.

 _His lover looked at him, a bashful smile adorning his features as their hands laced together._  

The tall skeleton looked to another patch of dust quite the distance away from him, and sobs eventually quieted to soft sniffles.

He needed to … He needed to leave and tell Fell and Sans what happened.

Papyrus used his scarf to collect his lover into his arms. He struggled to stand up straight, finding that he could not hold his head up high, and simply staggered his way back home.

It was quite the price to pay for their short-lived chance at happiness.  

How unfair life can certainly be.

**Author's Note:**

> Contest Entry - Theme: Love


End file.
